Dieselpunk: Difference between revisions
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{{trope}}
[[File:
A [[Punk Punk]] genre of [[Speculative Fiction]] based on the [[The Roaring Twenties|1920s]]
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[[Useful Notes|To be noted]]: unlike [[Turn of the Millennium|the 2000s]], the Diesel-powered car in the 1930s was a rare curiosity, only a single model being put into small-scale production [[Nazi Germany|in Germany]] during that age, but on the other side [[Values Dissonance|the vast majority of the population could not afford cars back then]]. The life of an ordinary citizen was far deeper influenced by the oil-burning [[Cool Train|locomotive]], bus, [[Cool Ship|ocean liner]] or neighborhood power plant. Still, during this period steam engines ''were'' gradually being replaced by diesel engines in many areas.
Vastness is key. This was the age of the zeppelin, the ocean liner, the flying-boat airliner, and the skyscraper. It also saw the first multinational corporations, large-scale social engineering, and mass political movements. [[World War I]] was still fresh in memory as the Great War, the most colossal conflict in the history of mankind. Man is dwarfed by his creations and things are subsumed into abstractions.
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[[Mysterious Antarctica]], [[Shangri La]], [[Hollow Earth]] etc. Some [[Geographic Flexibility]] is to be expected.
Dieselpunk fiction can encompass the supernatural as well. In
maybe [[Magicians Are Wizards]]. The works of [[H.P. Lovecraft]], tales of Nazi occult research, contemporary expeditions to 'mystical' places such as Egypt, and early research into relativity and quantum physics have greatly contributed to the occult mystique that informs Dieselpunk. This tends to contrast with the 19th-century [[Gothic Horror|Gothic]] themes and spiritualism that show up in [[Steampunk]].
As Dieselpunk is a post-modern look at the past, it is not limited to the tropes and stereotypes that characterized fiction of the
Sub-subgenres are listed below as possible options of exploration, but as these categorizations may only describe one or two works, if any, they should be taken with a grain of salt.
Also called "Ottensian" Dieselpunk after Nick Ottens, some guy on the Internet, who postulated it. This is the most optimistic form of
and the future is bright. Things are designed to be stylish and opulent, ornamental and
efficient at the same time. Think Bauhaus architecture and design, Art
Deco, Expressionism, the 1939 New York World Fair. A good setting for a [[Science Hero]].
Similar to Diesel Deco, but generally [[Darker and Edgier]]. Emphasizes the
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have to be stopped to avoid [[The End of the World as We Know It]].
[[World War II]] is being waged (or [[World War I]] in some instances), but one or both sides are introducing [[Stupid Jetpack Hitler|superweapons]], [[Imported Alien Phlebotinum|alien technology]] and/or [[Ghostapo|occult forces]] into the mix, often with one or more [[Mad Scientist
Also called "Piecraftian" Diesel Punk, again named for some guy on the Internet. [[World War II]] did start and may still be in progress; if it isn't, either some kind of [[Cold War]] is being waged, or a [[One World Order]] has been established. Either way, [[The Government]] is [[Big Brother Is Watching|intrusive]] and [[Police State|ruthless]], ostensibly to protect the citizens. The political ideology might be any kind of totalitarianism, either one of the many real life examples of the period, a [[Commie Nazis|mashup]] of those, or a completely fictional [[A Nazi by Any Other Name|analogue]].
[[World War II]] did start and ended because there isn't anything left to fight
over, and very few resources left to fight with, or even to sustain
civilization. It's essentially a post-apocalyptic milieu, and certainly not a very common
See also the article [http://people.howstuffworks.com/dieselpunk.htm How Dieselpunk Works].
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{{examples|Examples: }}
Dieselpunk is a modern genre, but some of the films and books of the period fit well, in the same fashion that [[Jules Verne]]'s books can be posed as [[Steampunk]].
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* The [http://www.luft46.com/ Luft '46] and [http://www.unrealaircraft.com/ UnrealAircraft] websites offer some pretty stunning examples of the aviation technology innovations that inspired futurists of that time and dieselpunk authors of our time.
* The ''[[Indiana Jones]]'' films
* ''[[Sky Captain and The World of Tomorrow]]'' (2004)
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* Elements of ''[[Up]]'', especially the younger days of Carl and his hero, explorer Charles F. Muntz.
* Some of the [[Studio Ghibli]] films take place in a mythical Diesel Deco-style Europe: ''[[Kiki's Delivery Service]]'' and ''[[Film/Howls Moving Castle|Howls Moving Castle]]'', for example. ''[[Porco Rosso]]'' takes place in a fictionalized Mediterranean setting between WWI and WWII. Besides (possibly) fictional use of air pirates and the magical realist-style presentation of Porco's being a pig, ''[[Porco Rosso]]'' incorporates historically accurate cues that indicate Italy is about to come under [[Benito Mussolini]]'s leadership.
* ''[[Metropolis (anime)|Metropolis]]'' (2001), also the manga by [[Osamu Tezuka]].
* ''[[Baccano!]]!'', also the book.
* ''[[Fullmetal Alchemist]]'', a rare combination of
* ''[[Last Exile]]'' combines
* ''[[The Sky Crawlers]]''
* ''[[Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade]]''
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* ''[[Xam'd: Lost Memories|Xamd Lost Memories]]''
* ''[[Black Cat (manga)|Black Cat]]'' has modern technology pop up, but the setting overall has a very Diesel Punk aesthetic and feel to it.
* [[Red Line]] is a mix of [[Space Opera]] and a load of
* ''Hellboy'' and its spinoffs such as ''[[Lobster Johnson]]''.
* ''[[Dick Tracy]]'', even at the time of its creation, included sci-fi elements that made it influential on dieselpunk.
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* ''Sandman'' Mystery Theater brought us a [[Grimdark]] pulp superhero fighting serial killers and bizarre menaces in a 1930s [[City Noir]].
* ''Iron Man Noir'', featuring Tony Stark's "repulsor pump" pacemaker, the Iron Man armor itself, and Baron Stucker's lightning-hurling [[Power Fist]] - not to mention background stuff like the sleek super zeppelins. It's unique among the ''Noir'' stories for not even trying to be realistic.
* ''[[Super Atragon]]'': The [[Military Mashup Machine|undersea-battleship ''Ra'']] is a superbly rendered piece of
* [[First Wave DCU]] is a cross between dieselnoir and [[Two-Fisted Tales]], with many of the [[Pulp Magazine]] heroes crossing over with newspaper comics' [[The Spirit]] and [[Batman|another guy from the Thirties]].
* The planet Saraksh in ''[[Prisoners of Power]]'', one of the [[Noon Universe]] novels of the [[Strugatsky Brothers]]. There are several
* ''[[The Iron Dream]]'' by Norman Spinrad
* Ian MacDonald's ''Desolation Road'' and ''Ares Express'' are a mix of this, [[Desert Punk]] and Cyberpunk with the non-city areas being Desert Punk and the cities being a mix of Diesel and Cyber.
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* Ian Tregillis novel ''Bitter Seeds'', which is set during a [[WW 2]] where psychic Nazi supers fight demon-summoning British blood-sorcerers. Quite [[Darker and Edgier|GrimDark]].
* ''Ghosts of Manhattan'' takes place in a world that is moving from [[Steampunk]] (coal driven cars, airships) to this (biplanes with rocket boosters) with hints of [[Raygun Gothic]] (holographic statues and videophones).
* Though ''[[Leviathan]]'' by Scott Westerfeld is definitely in the [[Steampunk]] genre by how it's presented and what kind of story it is, the Clanker technology is more
* ''[[Dreadnought]]'' by Cherie Priest. Thanks to the Republic of Texas discovering oil fifty years early, the Confederates are quite proud of their '[[Humongous Mecha|walker]]' which runs on diesel as opposed to the steam-driven Union mecha. Coal-diesel engines are also used by paddlesteamers and the eponymous [[Cool Train]].
* Jonathan L. Howard's ''Johannes Cabal'' series straddles this and Steam Punk. The first book, ''[[Johannes Cabal the Necromancer]]'' is more Steam, the second, ''[[Johannes Cabal the Detective]]'' more Deco Diesel.
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* ''[[Doc Sidhe]]''
* ''[[Caprica]]'' : The [[Syfy]] channel's [[Battlestar Galactica]] [[Spin-Off]] is a mix of dieselpunk and [[Cyberpunk]]. The in-story virtual game "New Cap City", which plays an important role in the series is pure Diesel Punk of the Noir variety.
* In 2010, Toyota created an ad series for their Avalon series that were decidedly dieselpunk. The first, [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7fgIQatJlo "Train"], was set in an art deco train station (complete with a Twentieth Century Limited-inspired locomotive), where the characters are wearing 40's-inspired clothes and a cover of Mr. Sandman by Pomplamoose plays in the background. The second, [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kGn09UWkjyE "Plane"], depicted men and women in 40's-inspired aviation uniforms as a Douglas DC-3 flew in the background.
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* ''[[Fringe]]'' episode Brown Betty had a world straight out of the 1920s, yet everyone was using ([[Retraux]]) cell phones and computers. And Walter's lap took it [[Up to Eleven]].
* The emerging musical genre known as electro-swing captures the essence of dieselpunk through remixing vintage jazz-style music and swing with modern technology and house beats.
* ''[[wikipedia:Children of the Sun (role-playing game)|Children of the Sun]]''
* ''Eberron'' has a [[Magitek]] version.
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* Thanks to its [[Schizo-Tech]] setting, the machines and equipment of the Imperial forces in ''Warhammer 40,000'' can have a very dieselpunky feel to them. For example, the [[Imperial Guard]] [http://img703.imageshack.us/img703/963/ryzalrtcomp.jpg Leman Russ battle tank] and the Imperial Navy [http://images1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20101101065235/warhammer40k/images/d/dc/Imperial_Navy_Lightning.jpg Lightning] fighter.
* [[LEGO Adventurers]]
* ''[[BioShock (series)]]'' and ''Bioshock II'' take place in a very distinctly dieselpunk world, complete with analogue vacuum-tube computers/robots and a jaw-dropping Art Deco setting. It does not entirely fit any of the types above, as it is set in an abandoned (well, by anything we could reasonably call inhabitants) underwater Gulch (a la Galt) and we do not know how different the surface is. However, the setting does apply.
** ''Bioshock : Infinite'': is set on an Flying City. In 1912. It is more of a straight-up steampunk vision, though Americanized as opposed to Victorian.
* ''[[Crimson Skies]]'' all the way, to the point of being the [[Trope Codifier]] of this style in [[Video Games]]. Emphasis on dieselpunk [[Sky Pirate
* The various ''[[Wolfenstein (2009 video game)|Wolfenstein]]'' games.
* ''Airfix Dogfighter''
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* ''[[Akai Katana]]'' takes place before or during [[World War Two]]
* ''Power Strike II'', a [[Sega Master System]] [[Vertical Scrolling Shooter]] by [[Compile]], released only in Europe and Australia (not to be confused with the [[Game Gear]] title of the same name, also by Compile, which is a completely different, more conventional space shooter). The main character is a bounty hunter, whose job is to shoot down [[Sky Pirates]] in an alternate 1930s setting.
* ''[[Skullgirls]]'' definitely draws on the
* ''[[The Legend of Korra]]'', a sequel series to [[Avatar: The Last Airbender]], takes place in Republic City, a [[Culture Chop Suey]] of various depression-era metropolises and Asian aesthetics. The music has been described as "1920s New Orleans jazz but if it were invented in China".
* ''[[Batman: The Animated Series]]''.
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* ''[[My Life as a Teenage Robot]]''
* ''[http://www.kopetkai.com/adventures/ Adventures of the 19XX]'' - A [[Heroes-R-Us|secret society]] protecting the world from occult villains.
* ''[http://athenavoltaire.blogspot.com/ Athena Voltaire]'' - A female Indiana Jones much cooler and better-dressed than Lara Croft.
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* Anathema, hosted on [[Slipshine]].
* ''[http://www.ryannagata.com/films/1945a/ 1945A]''
* ''[http://www.youtube.com/battlejitni The Danger Element] (The Adventures of Battle Jitni)''
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